The New York State DREAM Act, formally the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act, lets students who cannot access federal financial aid because of their immigration status apply for state-funded tuition grants and scholarships at New York colleges. Signed into law in 2019, it opens the same aid programs available to citizens and permanent residents to undocumented students, DACA recipients, and holders of certain visas, and it covers both undergraduate and graduate study.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility rests on three things: your immigration status, your educational history in New York, and where your permanent home is. You need to fit one of the following immigration categories:
- Undocumented, including students with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
- U-visa or T-visa holders (visas issued to victims of certain crimes or trafficking).
- Temporary Protected Status granted under the Federal Immigration Act of 1990.
- Refugees paroled into the United States under the attorney general’s parole authority.
On the education side, undergraduate applicants must have attended a New York high school for at least two years, graduated, and applied for college within five years of receiving that diploma. Earning a New York high school equivalency diploma and applying to college within five years of getting it also works.1New York State Senate. New York Education Law EDN 661
Graduate students get a longer window. The statute allows ten years from your New York high school diploma or equivalency to enroll in a graduate program and still qualify.2Higher Education Services Corporation. NYS DREAM Act Steps to Apply If you finished high school more than five years ago, an undergraduate award may be out of reach, but a master’s program can still put you inside the eligibility window.
A third path covers students who are already charged the in-state tuition rate at SUNY or CUNY for reasons other than standard residency. Those students qualify regardless of the timelines above.1New York State Senate. New York Education Law EDN 661
The Affidavit for Undocumented Students
Applicants without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit with their college stating that they have applied to legalize their status, or that they will apply as soon as they become eligible.1New York State Senate. New York Education Law EDN 661 It is a written commitment, not proof of an approved application. Students with DACA, a U-visa, a T-visa, or TPS do not file this affidavit.
If Your Permanent Home Is Outside New York
You can qualify without living in New York now if you attended and graduated from a New York high school. HESC’s criteria include a separate track for applicants whose permanent home is outside the state, provided they meet the two-year attendance and graduation rule and the same five-year (undergraduate) or ten-year (graduate) enrollment window.2Higher Education Services Corporation. NYS DREAM Act Steps to Apply U.S. citizens and permanent residents who attended a New York high school and later moved away also use this track.
Aid You Can Apply For
DREAM Act eligibility unlocks the state’s regular aid programs. Three do most of the work.
Tuition Assistance Program
TAP provides grants of up to $5,665 per year, based on household income and enrollment status, and applies at any approved New York college, public or private.3Higher Education Services Corporation. Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) TAP grants never have to be repaid. Beginning with the 2025–26 academic year, part-time students taking at least three but fewer than twelve degree-applicable credits per term can receive a part-time TAP award, provided they keep a cumulative 2.0 GPA.4Higher Education Services Corporation. Part Time TAP Eligibility and Certification
Excelsior Scholarship
Excelsior covers whatever tuition is left at SUNY or CUNY schools after your other grants and scholarships, including TAP and federal Pell, are applied. Families earning $125,000 or less per year are eligible.5Higher Education Services Corporation. Excelsior Scholarship Program Because it is a last-dollar award, it fills a gap rather than stacking on top. A student whose other aid already covers full tuition gets nothing additional from Excelsior.
The conditions are strict. You must enroll full-time, complete at least 30 credits per year toward your degree, stay continuously enrolled, and finish an associate degree in two years or a bachelor’s in four. Continuous enrollment can only be paused for medical leave, military duty, parental leave, or a family member’s serious health needs.5Higher Education Services Corporation. Excelsior Scholarship Program
Enhanced Tuition Awards
If you attend a participating private college rather than SUNY or CUNY, the Enhanced Tuition Award provides up to $6,000 per year through a combination of your TAP award, the ETA itself, and a matching contribution from the college.6Higher Education Services Corporation. Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA) Not every private college participates. Ask the financial aid office before assuming this award is available.
The Excelsior Residency Payback
Excelsior comes with an obligation many students overlook. After you receive your final scholarship payment, you must live and work exclusively in New York for a number of years equal to the number of years you received the award. Four years of Excelsior means four years of New York residency and employment after graduation.7New York State Senate. New York Education Law 669-H – Excelsior Scholarship
Move out of New York before completing that period and all or part of the award converts to a no-interest loan you have to repay.5Higher Education Services Corporation. Excelsior Scholarship Program The clock pauses if you continue into graduate school on at least a half-time basis, and it pauses while you complete remaining undergraduate study. HESC can also waive the obligation in cases of extreme hardship.7New York State Senate. New York Education Law 669-H – Excelsior Scholarship TAP and ETA carry no such residency requirement; only Excelsior does.
Keeping Your Aid Once You Have It
Both TAP and Excelsior have ongoing academic standards, and losing eligibility mid-degree is a real risk if you don’t watch them.
TAP requires three things each term: program pursuit (completing a minimum number of credits), academic progress (accumulating enough total credits), and a minimum GPA. After receiving two or more full years of state-funded aid, you need at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Part-time TAP recipients need to hold a 2.0 after their first semester. Falling below these thresholds costs you TAP for the next semester, though meeting them again restores eligibility, and a waiver is available if the shortfall came from circumstances beyond your control.
Excelsior’s standards are blunter: 30 credits per year, continuous full-time enrollment, and completion on the standard timeline. There is no GPA waiver. Fall short on credits and you lose the scholarship. Students who fall behind can catch up and reapply, but reinstatement is not guaranteed.5Higher Education Services Corporation. Excelsior Scholarship Program
How to Apply
The DREAM Act has its own application, separate from the FAFSA. You apply through the NYS DREAM Act portal managed by HESC, creating an account with your email address, a password, and your date of birth.2Higher Education Services Corporation. NYS DREAM Act Steps to Apply From there you enter your personal information, educational history, and financial data, then submit electronically.
Before you start, gather:
- A Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. If you have neither, contact HESC before applying.8City University of New York (BCC). New York State DREAM Act Application User Guide
- Your high school diploma or New York equivalency diploma, along with proof of two years of attendance at a New York high school.
- A New York State tax return (Form IT-201 or IT-203). Dependent students need the parent’s or stepparent’s return from the prior tax year. Federal tax forms can substitute if no New York return was filed, and if no taxes were filed at all, you report household income directly on the application.
Once your application is in, you can log back into the portal to check status. If HESC needs additional documentation, the request appears in your account, and your award notification is delivered the same way. Funds go directly to your college’s financial aid office to cover tuition and fees; the money does not come to you personally.
Excelsior has its own separate application through HESC with its own deadline. For the 2026–2027 academic year, that deadline is August 31, 2026.5Higher Education Services Corporation. Excelsior Scholarship Program The TAP application through the DREAM Act portal does not share this deadline. Apply as early as you can once the application opens for your academic year, since some funding is limited.
What the DREAM Act Does Not Do
The law opens access to state-administered financial aid. It does not change your immigration status, create a path to citizenship, or make you eligible for federal aid programs like Pell Grants or federal student loans. Students without lawful immigration status still cannot file a FAFSA.
The aid itself applies strictly to tuition and mandatory fees. Room and board, textbooks, and living expenses are not covered by TAP, Excelsior, or ETA, so any cost of attendance beyond tuition has to be planned for separately. And these programs pay for study at approved New York institutions only. You cannot take DREAM Act aid to an out-of-state college.